Editorial/ Op-EdA critical moment for the East Village and Lower East Side. The community-initiated rezoning of the East Village and Lower East Side is exciting news. The process began in response to Gregg Singer’s 20-plus-story megadorm that he’s been trying to build  so far unsuccessfully  on the old P.S. 64/CHARAS/El Bohio site on E. Ninth St. the last few years.Talking PointCondo-hotel approval would Trump zoning protectionsBy Andrew Berman
It’s rare that a single, behind-closed-doors decision by the city has a profound and sweeping effect upon neighborhoods all across New York City.

Seminary must survive for gay rights and for ChelseaBy Matt Foreman
Look across the political landscape and you won’t find many profiles in courage when it comes to fighting for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (L.G.B.T.) people. In fact, elected officials who actually have been willing to risk their seats by taking a stand for us are few and far between.

ObituaryEve Adamson, Cocteau Repertory founder, dies at 68By Jerry Tallmer
Everybody speaking of heaven ain’t going there, and everybody boasting of repertory ain’t doing it.
Eve Adamson did it.
The Jean Cocteau Repertory company, which she started in 1971 in a storefront on Bond St. in the East Village and ran for the next 18 years.

"Serving West and East Village, Chelsea, SoHo, NoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown and the Lower East Side"

Villager photo by Clayton Patterson

Hardcore from the heartA fan got a chance to cut loose on the mic as Underdog played at one of the last weeknight hardcore shows at CBGB on the Bowery last week.

Height caps sound great, but all not sold on rezoningBy Lincoln Anderson
Toward the end of Community Board 3’s 197 Task Force meeting on Monday night, David McWater, the board’s chairperson, said he’d hoped the Department of City Planning would return to the board with some modifications to its proposed East Village/Lower East Side rezoning that it presented the board a few months ago.

Saving flora from where freight cars once rumbledBy Albert Amateau
A perfect October afternoon  no clouds, little wind and cool temperature  brought out about 60 men and women to the still wild north end of the High Line to collect seeds from the wind-sown plants growing on the railroad viaduct for 25 years.

Openly gay bishop spreads the gospel of inclusionBy Jefferson Siegel
In a city like New York, houses of worship are a sort of anomaly. Unlike most apartments, churches have spacious interiors, the door is never locked and it’s really quiet inside.

Gansevoort project to study traffic, public spacesBy Albert Amateau
The title is a mouthful and the project itself is ambitious.
The Greater Gansevoort Urban Improvement Project, introduced at an Oct. 16 forum to an audience of Village and Chelsea community leaders, will take a comprehensive look at motor and pedestrian traffic in the area bounded by W. 16th and Gansevoort Sts. between Ninth Ave. and the Hudson River.

Heliport on Hudson still flying high after 50 yearsBy Jefferson Siegel
Fifty years ago, New Yorkers weren’t in such a rush. A subway ride cost 15 cents, the first transatlantic telephone cable was put to use and Elvis Presley’s first hit, “Heartbreak Hotel,” rocked the radio waves.

They wanna be sedated as CBGB, punk icon, closesBy Lincoln Anderson
While hundreds of fans were still rocking in punk ecstasy to Patti Smith at her closed-to-the-media farewell show inside CBGB early Monday morning, there was no mistaking the feeling among those who couldn’t get inside.

Art of the deal: Close, artists near accord on Noho projectBy Lincoln Anderson
According to all parties involved, the developer of a new mixed-use building between Great Jones and Bond Sts. on Lafayette St. is close to reaching an agreement with Chuck Close and his fellow artist tenants in the adjacent building at 20 Bond St.

High Line phone audio tour connects with park’s fansBy Lawrence Lerner
At the southern end of the High Line railway viaduct, on the corner of Washington and Gansevoort Sts., construction workers in orange hardhats, fluorescent vests and work boots scurry to and fro above one of the last remains of the old Meatpacking District.

Villager Arts & Lifestyles

Ella O’Neill’s long journey into the lightBy Jerry Tallmer
Ann Harson thinks Mary Ellen Quinlan O’Neill  Ella, to friends and family  got a raw deal in son Eugene’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” so Mrs. Harson has written a play of her own to restore the balance.

Graffiti artist Spaze Crafte One, ready for lift offBy Rachel Fershleiser
Aaron Lazansky-Oliva  a.k.a. Spaze Crafte One and SC1 ­ has about as many monikers as he does areas of expertise. The graffiti and urban artist is also a painter, product designer, comic strip author, webmaster, electronic musician, breakdancer, and jewelry-maker.

The Wednesday the music diedBy Todd Simmons
With all of the concern about Bad Brains singer HR’s current state of mental health, and the speculation over whether he’d show up at CBGB wearing a motorcycle helmet or bullet-proof vest, walk off the stage early or fail to appear at all, you could almost forget for a minute what the week was really about.

Clive on classicalThe current musical season is one of the most promising in years, and we have the Metropolitan Opera to thank for setting the right tone for everyone else’s classical calendar.

Turkish cinema at the crossroadsBy Steven Snyder
Most film festivals are events that look forward, movie marathons organized around premieres and debuts, first glances and breakthroughs.

Koch on filmBy Ed Koch“The Departed” (+) This script contains a few holes and relies in one case on an improbable, dying hood’s statement to clear up an important matter. But quibbles aside, “The Departed” is very exciting, filled with constant action, a few torrid love scenes and above all, a great cast.“Little Children” (+) This is excellent film despite one small cavil, which I will detail later.